Missy, Adopted 10/2011

Foster failing. It’s one of the few “failures” in life to be celebrated. It’s when a foster volunteer “fails” to do his/her job of adopting out an animal and decides to adopt instead. We foster failed with a black, fuzzy mutt that was came into our home as a temporary house guest but has claimed a place all to herself on our sofa, on our bed, in our hearts.

We started fostering in November 2010. In that time, we’ve seen more than a dozen dogs come and go from our home. Several of those dogs were pulled from high-kill shelters on what was set to be their last days of life. We’ve transformed the pooches from underdogs to wonder dogs. We’ve taken them in to our home, given them baths, filled their bellies, taught them manners, and then found them forever homes. I suppose it was only a matter of time before one came along that would fit seamlessly into our lives, and we couldn’t let go.

Enter Missy.

We’re told she had a family in South Carolina who moved away and left her behind. A kind neighbor noticed the poor dog alone and fed her for two weeks. When it became apparent the family wasn’t coming back, the neighbor brought Missy to a shelter. In that shelter, Missy had five days to find a home. Luckily, in that time, Happy Paws came across her and agreed to rescue her.

How anyone could move and leave a dog behind is beyond us—let alone a dog like Missy. Sweet and affectionate, smart and well mannered, she’s a mutty-mutt mix of who knows what breeds. You couldn’t ask for a better dog. And we believe she couldn’t ask for a better home.

So Missy is here to stay.  She’s brought so much joy into our lives. We simply don’t know what we would do without her. Failure has never been so sweet.